A Dream of Reality
by Ellwyn
Summary: Updated-Ch.4! Squall has a dream that he refuses to share with anyone, not even Rinoa. But when Rinoa suddenly disappears, Squall and co. fear that something terrible has happened to her, and, worst of all, Squall fears that his dream has come true.
1. Premonitions

A Dream of Reality: Chapter One

Premonitions

A/N: I wrote this about two years ago and it's still saved on my computer, so…here it is. The writing is kind of iffy since I wrote it way back then, but I'm too lazy to go back and change it. ^_^ It's a good beginning, I suppose, for that one idea I had so long ago…I'll finish writing it if I get reviews! Thanks.

Disclaimer: The locations and story of Final Fantasy VIII and all characters are copyrighted to Squaresoft and Hironobu Sakaguchi. 

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A young girl stood leaning against the balcony in the "secret" after hours meeting place, in Balamb Garden. She smiled prettily despite what was going on inside her heart as she imagined that night when she had first laid eyes upon that handsome stranger…the one whose voice sounded as music when he spoke—which was rarely ever. He was such a taciturn young man, and she had no idea why she was so swept away by him and his two left feet while dancing that night.

"Rinoa." She jumped, then, recognizing that the voice belonged to the one she had just been thinking of, she turned around to face him. 

"Oh, Squall, you scared me. I thought you were in the dormitories, just like the others…"

"I…couldn't sleep," he admitted with a slight look of innocence written on his face. She smiled at that. "I don't know what came over me—but I just had this…premonition to come here, and when I did…"

"You found me."

Her gaze followed him as he walked over stiffly, then leaned against the balcony and rested his head on one arm. Something about him seemed different…though she couldn't quite tell what—just something in his posture. A long moment of silence passed, as Rinoa continued to gaze at him, trying to understand why he was acting differently. Squall turned his head swiftly, realizing she was staring at him, and gave her a questioning look…though she noticed he was blushing furiously in the dark.

"What…?"

"Nothing, sorry. So…since we're here, and alone—"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "…Rinoa, what are you—"

"No, no! I just meant…do you want to talk about things? So much has happened after…well, after that entire ordeal…"

"Whatever."

"Squall, I'm serious. I've been feeling like…like you're hiding something from me. It's only been a few days—but during them I've felt cut off from you, somehow. Like you're trying to distance yourself from me…I just want to know something: is it just my imagination, or is there really something on your mind? Squall…I really want you to talk to me…for once."

"Distancing myself from you? It's just your imagination." As he said those last words, he felt a sudden cry of pain in his heart; he felt like if he was going to keep it inside him any longer, he would explode from all the pain he was causing himself.

At that, Rinoa looked away, hiding the hurt in her eyes. She knew something was going on—and it hurt her even more that he wouldn't say. 

Squall saw her reaction and raised a hand to her shoulder, but let it drop after a moment of hesitation. Why was he always like this? He never knew what to say at the right times. Hurting Rinoa like this made him feel like the worst person in the world. It was true, after such a long time he realized he was unable to live without her—but this time he just couldn't bring himself to tell her anything. _I'm sorry, Rinoa. You've always been so good to me—even when I was such a jerk to you…I can't believe someone like you would actually see something in me._

"Squall…you're thinking again, aren't you?" Rinoa noticed the usual frown on his face, but this time there was a look of confusion behind his expression. 

"…I'm thinking of how much I suddenly feel very tired," he said, trying to hide the turmoil in his emotions by sounding irritated, "get some sleep…you're probably going to need it tomorrow." He walked slowly over the bridge, and, just before disappearing around the corner, he stole one last glance at Rinoa, but her back was turned toward him.

***

Squall awoke with a start to a sudden knocking on his dormitory door. He reached up, ran his fingers through his hair, and realized he was sweating. He knew he'd had that same dream…the one he had been having for the past few weeks. But there was no time to think about that—whoever was knocking sounded like they needed to get to him urgently.

"Squall, Squall! Are you awake in there?!" Quistis' voice rang out.

Sighing, Squall roused himself out of bed, threw on his coat and opened the door, blinking furiously as his eyes accustomed to the bright morning light. "What is it?"

"Something's up—are you fully awake? We need you down at the bridge, pronto!"

"Not again," he mumbled under his breath as he followed Quistis down the hall. 

When they reached the bridge, he found everyone except Rinoa waiting for him there. "What is it?" he asked, in a more urgent tone, realizing from all their panic-stricken faces the urgency of the situation.

Irvine was the first to break the silence. "It's Rinoa, Squall…I was going to check up on her this morning just to see how she was feeling, and I couldn't find her anywhere! I don't know…I say we get to the Ragnarok immediately and sort this out—though I have no idea where she's disappeared off to."

Squall's brow furrowed as he struggled to take in everything he had just heard. "Wait a second—what do you mean, 'checking up on her to see how she was feeling'?" He glared at Irvine suspiciously.

Irvine's eyes darted to the others for help, but they all shrugged and kept their silence. "Listen, Squall…Rinoa was, well—upset last night. We were all playing Triple Triad in the infirmary, and she just appeared suddenly. To put it bluntly, she was, well, crying."

Squall's gaze softened a little and they all noticed his blue eyes wavering. _Oh god, what have I done to her? I thought it would all be okay this morning…but now she's gone. _

"Squall, I'm sure whatever you're thinking of is important—but don't you think we ought to try to find her? I mean, for all we know, she could be in major trouble!" Selphie said.

"But where could she have gone?" Zell asked.

"Home…" Squall murmured to himself.

"Timber!" Selphie exclaimed, running for the door. "Come on, everyone, we're going to find Rinoa, and I'm driving!"

***

For the entire trip to Timber, Squall sat morosely, thinking of what Rinoa could have been so upset by. _Was it something I said? It's probably because she feels like we're growing apart—and she knows I'm hiding something from her. But it's got to be something more serious than that…or she wouldn't have run off like that. I know her, she wouldn't do something careless like running away in the middle of the night unless she really was being bothered by something. ……Or do I know her? She just ran off in the middle of the night…so I guess I don't know her as well as I thought I did. _

At that, he felt his heart in his throat, wishing he could hear Rinoa tell him cheerfully that everything was all right. _I'm always wishing to be with her, but only when she's not around. Is it just that I'm ungrateful that she's here? I know I love her… but I've never told her that. Does she already know, or is it because of that that she ran away? She must not think she's wanted here…just because of how I ignored her last night. Why was I being so stupid? All she wanted was for me to hold her in my arms and tell her there's nothing that I would ever hide from her. _

He fought back the tears that were threatening to pour from his eyes as Irvine's voice rang out over the intercomm. "We've reached Timber…prepare for one of Selphie's shaky landings."

"Oh, why don't you shut up, Irvinny—" Selphie's voice was cut off as the Ragnarok landed on the ground with a thud. 

When they reached Timber, Squall began to feel dread creeping up on him. "If she went, then she surely must have had a reason to get away from us. She might not want to see us again," he said, trying subconsciously to back out of his situation.

"What are you talking about? The only reason why she left is because she felt hurt by you—and if you don't do something about it before it's too late, Ifrit knows what will happen to you two!" Zell said bluntly, pushing him forwards into the town.

"Squall, don't try to back out of it—we're already in way too deep, and if I was the one who was upset…sure, I'd want to have someone come and comfort me." Quistis said, looking sternly at Squall.

"…And what if you _are_ the reason they went away…because they hate you now. They wouldn't want to see you ever again." Squall said sulkily.

"Stop it, you're being pessimistic now! Besides, you have no idea what's going on in Rinoa's head right now…and she already knows you found out that she's gone…every second wasted while we stand here is a precious long time to Rinoa. Your relationship could be on the brink of ending, man, so get a hold of yourself!" Zell pushed Squall further along the road.

When they reached the house where the plump woman, the leader of the Forest Owls, lived, Selphie knocked timidly on the door. The surprised face that appeared in the doorway was Zone's. 

"Oh, it's you guys. What are you doing here?" He didn't sound too enthusiastic.

"Squall, go ahead and explain." Quistis pushed him forward.

He hesitated for a moment, then began, "Zone…is Rinoa here?" At the look on Zone's face, Squall continued hastily, "I don't believe she's in any major trouble…I think she's just—well, she needed a break from us and we couldn't find her this morning. Has she showed up here?"  


"No…but if she does, I'll make sure to tell her that it was good of her to get away. Really, getting caught up in all this sorceress business is too much for our little princess. It's all your fault, you know, " he said, raising an eyebrow at Squall. "If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have left us to dwindle back here—and I'll bet she finally realized that you're all taking advantage of her, so she left. Good for her."

Squall looked even more desperate at that. "Listen, I didn't do anything to hurt her—I just…" he stopped as Zone shut the door in his face.

"So much for that. I guess she's not in Timber, huh?" Irvine said, "I wonder where she is?"

"Not to make you feel any worse, Squall, but maybe Zone's right. Maybe she's had enough and she just had to get away…but I'm sure she'll come back when she's ready! I mean, it's obvious she cares for you so much…it shows whenever she just so much as looks at you. I remember the time when I told her I'd get your ring for her…she was blushing so much and had this kinda dreamy look in her eyes."

"So what are you trying to tell me?! That Rinoa left because I hurt her so terribly?" Squall began desperately.

"No, Squall. Keep to your senses…I'm getting a bad feeling here. We don't know where she is…and she's probably lost, too. That puts her at a disadvantage—an easy target, for whoever's out there. We've got to keep looking for her, and we'd better find her, fast." Quistis warned.

__

Oh god, Quistis is right. She's in trouble…and it's all my fault. Because I had to keep it from her—I should have told her… A shadow crossed over Squall's face. _It's happening…oh god, Rinoa, I should never have let you go! Now you're really in trouble…just like in my dream._

I'm sorry, Rinoa…

Squall felt a lump rising in his throat and tears burned in his eyes. The others were staring at him, astonished to find him on the verge of tears, but he ignored them. 

"Isn't he…overreacting, just a bit?" Selphie whispered to Irvine, but she was silenced by three angry glares.

Squall buried his face in his hands. _Let them stare. Rinoa could be gone forever, and I don't know where to find her. I'll never hold her in my arms again. _

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	2. Barriers

A Dream of Reality: Chapter Two

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Barriers

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A/N: I wrote more! Thanks for reviewing, I decided that I really should continue the story, now that I've finally remembered the plot I was planning for it…^^ Hope you like. It'll probably take a while before I can post again, though _please_ be patient and keep on reading and reviewing! I have to keep up my other story(s)…

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"Help! Oh god, help me! Squall…where are you? Where are you? Why aren't you here…with me…" 

Squall clamped his hands over his ears in an attempt to stifle the voice crying out in his mind.

"_No! No!" _A scream. Then,_ "Oh, Squall…"_

Voices cried incessantly in Squall's mind, voices that he heard every night in the dream. That dream. Experiencing it at night was one thing, when he could just awake to a bright, cheery morning in the Garden dormitory, to see everyone's faces smiling at him during breakfast, and Rinoa waiting for him, wearing that beautiful smile of hers. But, during the day, those despondent voices crying aloud in his mind… He could not ignore it, no matter how he tried. His throat burned and tears came unbidden to his eyes. Squall closed his eyes.

A sudden jolt of the ship brought him back to reality. Squall sat up straight (something he rarely ever did… and it never did last for long before he began to slouch again), wondering why the Ragnarok was experiencing turbulence. The Ragnarok had taken off from Timber hours ago, and was making its way towards that white house on the beach. Quistis had decided that since they had no notion of where Rinoa could have ended up, the only place to start was to ask Edea and the Headmaster Cid if they had had any contact with her.

"Sorry about that, kids," Irvine's voice announced across the ship's intercom, "we're, uh, experiencing some technical difficulties here--" 

"Oh, Ifrit!" Selphie voice could be heard now, and she sounded extremely frustrated. The ship jolted another time, and Squall could have sworn that he felt the Ragnarok back up and then accelerate to full speed. "There's something…blocking my way."

"You can't be serious?" Irvine asked inquisitively.

"Yes, I am! Why else could we be flying in midair and suddenly come to a complete stop? I don't get it."

"Give it a go again," Zell's voice suggested.

"I already did, but here goes--"

The intercom was cut off in a flurry of static as the ship rammed into an invisible barrier for the third time. Squall was thrown against a wall. He muttered a few curses under his breath as he struggled to regain balance. _You'd think they would stop ramming it after a couple of times…as though I didn't already have a headache. My head hurts._ Squall hit his forehead in frustration. 

The intercom buzzed to life again, and Quistis' concerned voice sounded through the ship's empty corridors to the engine room where Squall was standing--more like holding onto the wall in the case that someone in the cockpit managed to persuade Selphie to ram the barrier yet again.

"Squall? I don't know what this is--it's a clear blue sky, there are clouds dotting the horizon, and the ocean is directly beneath us. I don't know what I should be looking at. You may want to get down here…well, whenever you feel apt to show your face in public again."

Standing still for a few moments to be sure that the ship was at a standstill, Squall made his way through the corridors to the elevator, which he activated after wiping his eyes on his coat sleeve, feeling rather foolish as he did so. 

"Squall!" Zell yelled when Squall appeared, "there you are! Look at this--I've never seen anything like this in my life…"

"Wait, Zell, that's not quite true--" Quistis began, but she was interrupted by Squall's monotonous voice.

"The barrier around Lunatic Pandora."

"Hey, he's right!" Selphie joined in, speaking over her shoulder as she kept the Ragnarok hovering in the air. "But, what does that mean? Do you think Lunatic Pandora is back?"

Irvine looked at Selphie as though she had donkey ears instead of hair. "The place is history. You know what happened. Ultimecia disappeared, as did that creepy fortress of hers."

"What I'm thinking," Quistis muttered, "is that the Lunatic Pandora barrier was generated by a powerful source of magic. But we did get through that one with our propulsion and guns--not to say that you should try that, Selphie," she added with a steely glare at the overly eager young girl, "this one 'looks' different. I don't know if it's even penetrable."

"Which means that there is greater magic behind it. More powerful than we have yet encountered," Squall finally cut in, voicing everyone's dread. Even Zell, who had been thinking of eating hot dogs with the cute library girl with the pigtail, felt the hairs raising on the back of his neck. He took a battle stance and began punching the air fiercely.

"What the heck does that mean? That we can't beat it? You're kiddin' me! Come on, let's get out there--"

"Wait, what do you plan on doing, Zell?!" Irvine exclaimed, "there is nothing below us but salty water. Unless you want to fight the water…"

Zell stopped punching the air restlessly and his expression fell. "OK, fine, I get it. Let's just sit here and talk while Matron and Headmaster Cid are _in_ that impenetrable bubble…"

"By Shiva, he's right!" they all seemed to exclaim at once, or something to that extent. Then Quistis, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine all looked to their leader for a solution.

"What?" Squall asked, his brow furrowing. "I don't know what to do…we can't get through it."

"Squall," Quistis protested, "this is one of those times that you're supposed to take the initiative and tell us what to do. You have a brilliant mind, and we know it. You led us against Ultimecia, and it was you who kept us together during the Galbadia Garden raids."

"…Whatever." That trademark saying. A sure sign that Squall had truly gone back to his old ways of lone-wolfishness and isolating himself with his own pent-up feelings.

"Squall, listen to me," Quistis said quietly, but urgency was in her voice, "we don't know where Rinoa is. The best thing we can do is to ask Edea what could possibly be happening--and with this strange invisible barrier, who knows what is going on? I know it's difficult, but you can't sit here and punish yourself. You just can't do this. Not to yourself, not to us, and especially not to Rinoa. Gather yourself together and push through those barriers in your mind, or we may be too late for whatever is happening out there."

The others nodded their acquiescence and watched Squall's face for any sign of change. He stood quietly, staring at his feet. Then his blue eyes drifted upwards, and they held a fierce determination in them. "I…I'm sorry, Quistis," he sighed. "You're right, of course. You always are. I haven't been taking the initiative, especially when I need to. Come on, Selphie, fly around this thing with at _least _a ten meter perimeter around the barrier. There may be some sort of niche in it." 

Irvine and Zell grinned while Selphie yelled, "Whoo hoo!" and Quistis positively beamed at Squall. But everything--his expression, his words, his determination--it was all a façade. Squall felt a nagging sensation in the back of his mind, a nagging guilt that accused him of hiding everything. _The dream_, he thought, _I have to tell them about it. What if it's all in it, what if everything we don't know is hidden in my dream? What if, when we get there, wherever 'there' is,…it's too late?_ He didn't want to think about it. Squall merely tried to smile reassuringly at Quistis' worried glances after his short spell of pondering.

After several minutes in which the Ragnarok skirted around the indiscernible barrier, Selphie managed to bring it back to their starting point.

"There's no sign of it letting up. I shot it in lots of different place with our strongest guns…I don't know, Squall. I just don't know," Selphie sounded tired.

Squall shook his head, his teeth clenched nervously. _And they expect me to know what to do_? He stood, motionless, for so many moments that the others were beginning to sigh in frustration. Squall saw the looks of resignation written on each of their faces, and he was frightened by it. _Rinoa, where are you? How can we possibly find you if we can't even get through this barrier? Hell, I don't even know where it came from, or what's inside…_

His thoughts were interrupted by a shout of exclamation from Zell. They all turned to look at him. Zell was leaning against the cockpit window, staring down at the ocean below. 

"What, Zell?" Quistis asked, a wariness creeping into her voice. Squall saw her fingering her whip where it hung on her belt.

"I just saw--there was a big fish. Or a shark, or something. Some water creature. It was right below us, and I could see it--it went straight through the barrier. But under water. Does that mean that the barrier doesn't extend into the water?"

"Are you sure you saw that, Zell?" Irvine was asking. He looked at Selphie and they exchanged doubtful glances.

"Does the Ragnarok fly under water?" Zell had that adventurous gleam growing in his eyes.

"It flew in space. It flies in the air. Why not?" Selphie asked. 

Squall shook his head quickly. "Wait. Don't try anything rash. We don't know that…it was originally designed only for space travel, and through the atmosphere. There wasn't any chance of it being submerged under water when the scientists in Esthar designed it to bring Sorceress Adel up to her confinements in space…"

Zell looked as though he would start punching the air again. "But…but…"

"No, Zell." Quistis' voice was firm. "But say that the thing you saw really did go through. What if we dove…"

"No way!" Selphie exclaimed. "I'm afraid of water."

"So I'll stay here with you," Irvine reassured her.

"How far is it from here to the nearest coast?" Squall asked. Selphie checked the radar and reported that it was approximately 10 miles to the shore of the peninsula on which Edea's house rested. "There's no way we can swim ten miles."

"So we get diving gear."

"Zell, that's preposterous. We would still have to swim for ten miles, anyhow," Quistis reprimanded him.

"Submarine, then." 

Squall shook his head. "We can't possibly find a submarine. We have to stop wasting time. And there's nothing left to do…but bring the Ragnarok under. Come on, Selphie. Let's do it."

Selphie nodded with a visible swallow and carefully lowered the Ragnarok. The ship's belly was just touching the surface of the water, and so far nothing had happened. Selphie reported, "All signs are normal. There aren't any warnings that I can see." Then she brought it down, foot by foot, and finally it was completely submerged in the ocean water. They looked out of the cockpit window, as the Ragnarok dipped lower, seeing only darkness below them and light above. There were a few fish swimming nearby that quickly dispersed at the waves the large ship was causing. Squall was tense. He heard the ship give a low moan, somewhere down in the lower reaches. 

"So far, no engine problems. Just so long as the water doesn't get into the hull or the engine…" Selphie said shakily.

But there was a louder groan from the ship, followed by a flashing red light on the controls. 

"Damn!" Squall muttered. "Go, Selphie! Just go!" The crew fell backwards against the walls as Selphie pushed the acceleration lever up as far as it would go. The Ragnarok took off, sluggish at first, but then gaining speed, and all the while more warnings were appearing on the screen. 

"We're through!" Quistis shouted above the din of warning sirens. "Up, Selphie!"

The Ragnarok emerged into the air finally, and they all let go of their breaths as though they had been unable to breathe while they were under the water.

"Systems report," Squall said.

"Fuel leakage. The transmission is close to dead. We might be able to push it just ten miles more…" Selphie said as she urged the ship through the air. And after a few very tense minutes in which the ship was gradually losing altitude, they could all see the line of islands and peninsulas on the edge of the horizon. "Come on…" they all whispered under their breaths.

The Ragnarok finally sputtered and gave its last dying cough as Selphie guided it to land. There was a large jolt, and they all lost their balance. Looking up, Squall squinted through the settling dust cloud and managed to discern a small white lighthouse just a short walk away. 

"Forget about the Ragnarok," he said. He stood and rubbed his head. Surprisingly, his head had ceased its pounding in all the commotion. The others were standing and brushing themselves off. "We can't do anything about it now. Come on, let's go." 

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	3. The Railroad

A Dream of Reality: Chapter Three

The Railroad

A chill breeze was blowing through the open window, and it scattered a deck of Triple Triad cards across the floor. A dark figure moved to shut it carefully. The figure's movements were barely discernible in the black of night. With just one flick of a light switch, the dimmed night-lights could have flickered on, but the figure merely sat on the bed wordlessly. After a time, a few stifled sobs could be heard. A dark haired girl was sitting on the bed, her face buried in her hands. 

__

Squall, what is it that you won't let yourself tell me? I thought things would be better after everything…that night on the balcony. Was that all a lie? For a second I was glad, I was happy, because you changed. But then…no, Squall. Now you haven't changed at all. 

She sat up and wiped her eyes on the cuff around her wrist. _Why am I worrying about this? It's just this once. Maybe I'm overreacting--he could just be having a hard day._ Rinoa shook her head, angry with herself for acting so childish. She stood and left the dormitories of the Garden. Then, peering up at a screen near the entrance of the dorms, she realized that the Garden was stationary. 

"Current location: Fisherman's Horizon," she read aloud, then began walking towards the elevator. It was after hours, but the security guard sitting at the elevator was in a deep slumber. Rinoa smiled to herself slightly as the doors slid shut. 

Moments later, she emerged out of the emergency door on the second floor into the cold night air. Rinoa breathed deeply. She could smell the salty scent of the ocean mingled with a chill, clear breeze. She began to walk along the old railroad leading into Esthar. 

__

I think it was just a relapse of Squall's old self. It can't last very long, she thought, fingering the two rings that dangled on the chain around her neck. 

A quiet sound ahead interrupted her thoughts. She peered into the darkness, only seeing blurry shadows. _Must be the wind_. 

But another sound startled her. It was nearer this time. "Who…who's out there?" she called, her voice sounding braver than she really felt. Her question was met by silence for the next several moments. Then, a sudden sound to her left. It seemed to her that there were footsteps. Rinoa cursed herself for not bringing her armlet and weapon. _This would be a good time to have Angelo with me…_ she thought futilely, still peering into the darkness. The safety of the small town was about half a mile behind her, she noted.

She suddenly felt a hand grab her from behind, clasping her mouth. Cold steel pressed against her neck, and her eyes were wide in shock and terror.

"Mmmph!" she tried to scream.

"Rinoa?!" Her captor released his grip on her. Rinoa took a protective stance and whirled around to face her enemy.

"Seifer?!" she cried, taken aback, recognizing the gunblade and the long silver overcoat.

"Rinoa…what are you doing out here? I'm sorry if I frightened you." 

Rinoa brushed the hair out of her face and tried to breathe slower. She could feel her heart beating wildly against her chest and just now realized how cold it was in the night air. "I was just…taking a walk."

"In the middle of the night?" Seifer asked, bewildered. "Do you do this regularly?"

"Um…."

Seifer squinted at her, and he must have noticed that there was the salty residue of tears along her cheeks, and her eyes looked tired, for he said, "You were upset. And you came out here…"

Rinoa shrugged, unable to deny the obvious. "What about you? Why are you here?"

"Fishing trip with the posse. I was just walking because I couldn't sleep."

"Oh."

Silence pressed in on them for a few moments.

"So it's been a while," Rinoa finally began. "What….what have you been up to?"

"I don't know. Fishing. The fish here is great, much better than you can get in Balamb. And you? Oh…right. With Squall and the others."

"Yeah…Squall…" she muttered, and looked down at the ground. Seifer noticed her reaction and concern was written on his face.

"Something wrong? With Squall, I mean."

"No. It's…no, never mind. You wouldn't understand. I don't think even I do."

Seifer nodded, pushing any further questions into the back of his mind. "Come on, Rinoa, want to go for a walk with me?" Rinoa hesitated a moment, thinking, _Seifer is dangerous. He did kidnap me before and bring me to Adel…but what can I do? He's changed now, he isn't under the spell of Ultimecia any longer. It's all over._ She nodded and forced herself to ignore the doubts creeping into her mind. _This is the old Seifer, the one I first fell in love with so many summers ago._

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As they walked, Rinoa could feel Seifer's gaze resting upon her much too often. She looked around at the ocean, trying to force her attention away from his eyes. 

"Rinoa…do you remember that summer, three years ago?"

"Of course," she whispered, squirming uncomfortably as they walked. _The town is just around that bend_, she thought involuntarily. 

"I saw it then, but then I was overcome by…forces I didn't understand. And all that time, I wasted. I wish none of this had happened," Seifer said, more to himself than to her, "because I loved you, Rinoa. I really did."

__

Oh, Ifrit, not now, she thought. "B-but, Squall--" Rinoa stuttered, biting her lip, "he and I…we….you…"

She heard Seifer sigh resignatedly at her side. "I know. I know. It's just, well, sometimes I wish that we could have been together. We were great together, and we could have been…forever…"

Rinoa was afraid to look up and see the hapless expression on his face. "No, Seifer," she said firmly, "no, we couldn't have. It was never meant to be."

"Tell me you loved me," he whispered, and he stopped walking. Rinoa halted a few feet ahead of him, but he closed the distance between them so that their faces were only inches apart. She could feel his warm breath on her face.

"No…Seifer, I did, but it's _different_." She tried to back away.

"How? I can see it in your eyes…Squall is making you upset, isn't he? He's such an introvert. He never really did love you, anyway, Rinoa, and--"

"_No!_" she cried at him. "I told you that you wouldn't understand! And you don't!"

"Wait, Rinoa. Please, just…give me a chance. Can't you do that for me? You say you did love me. Love doesn't just fade away, it always lingers. Just as mine will always linger, for you…" Seifer took her hand in his.

"Get away," she whispered hoarsely. She struggled to tear arm away from his grip to no avail. "Leave me alone, Seifer. If you love me, you wouldn't hurt me like this--"

Seifer drew her roughly against him and kissed her harshly.

"_Stop it!_" Rinoa screamed, tearing herself away. She socked him in the face.

"I love you, why won't you understand?!" he cried. 

Rinoa could feel a strange sensation welling up inside of her. It was as though all of her anger and mental power was being gathered…she started in fear when a trickling stream of pale green light emerged from the skin on her arm. "Oh my god…what is that…" 

Seifer was oblivious at first, and he continued yelling, "I love you! You don't understand how much I do!" But then he noticed the light issuing from her flesh, and was just as surprised as she. He let go of her arm hastily. "What the hell?!"

The pale green light was growing stronger, wreathing around her entire arm. Then her body lurched, and the green light was everywhere, wreathing around her body. "Help…help me!" she screamed. The light grew, and in a blinding flash, it disappeared. Rinoa was trembling violently, and her mind was reeling. She saw Seifer lying unconscious on the railroad tracks through blurred vision.

"Oh god…" Rinoa stared down at her quivering hands _What's happening to me?_ _I have to find help._ "Somebody help me! Please!" Rinoa looked around hastily, a glazed look in her eyes, and spotted a small boat tied to a plank of the bridge. She staggered over to the edge and then let herself drop into the boat. "Help…" she muttered weakly. She pulled herself up to the side and untied the rope with shaking fingers. "I'm…so…cold…"

The light was still pulsating faintly from her body as the wind kicked up from the northeast. And the boat began to drift across the water, then mysteriously picked up speed. It was heading in the exact direction of the lighthouse. Rinoa's frigid fingers closed around the lion ring at her neck and laid still.

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A/N: Sorry that was a little unexpected…got somewhat carried away with that chapter, and now the plot has changed completely in my head! Well anyway, hope you liked it anyway. Sorry for the delays, though I can't promise that there'll be updates anytime in the near future…I'm going to try my best! muttering Too much homework. Sorry guys!


	4. Drowning Lion

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Chapter Four: Drowning Lion

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A/N: I haven't updated this in months! My apologies. After my computer crash I was busy finishing my other fics, and then I got too busy to write more…well, here's the next installment. I don't think I'll be able to update any time in the near future, because of school—if you care enough about this story (thank you so much for being patient readers!) check back to my profile where I post updates and chapters coming soon! Thanks so much. Questions? Email to jidai_rinoa@hotmail.com.

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The unchanging barren landscape finally gave way to a quaint little white lighthouse. Squall was the first to reach the front gate, and he went in to see the ruins of greenery in the yard. Except there was a strange translucent quality to everything he looked at--the plants and walls themselves seemed to be radiating a sort of hazy green light. Squall knelt down to take a handful of the faintly glowing dirt as the others filed in behind him.

"What _is_ that?" Zell asked. "Is my eyesight getting bad, or does everyone else see that weird green haze?"

"No, Zell, it's not just you," Quistis explained. "I've never seen anything like this. What could it be?"

"No time to find out--let's go see if Matron is all right!" Selphie dashed off to the front door with Irvine following close behind. They all walked in, warily, looking about the ruins of the old house.

"Where could she be…" Quistis looked around a door into the other room but shook her head. "Nothing there but dust, a used draw point, and an old bookshelf. Let's go check the beach…"

They walked outside to where the soft sand heated by the sun sunk under their feet. 

"I don't get it," Squall muttered quietly. He continued down the path that led down to the shoreline. Tied to a plank of wood on the shore was an old boat, with wood so rotten that it looked as though someone could pry the boat apart with their hands, bit by bit. Squall stared at the boat from a distance. The green luminescence seemed to be much stronger around the boat.

"This is wonderful," Irvine said, shaking his head, frustrated, "just a rotten old boat. No Edea, no Cid, and no Rinoa. What the hell is going on here? And what is that weird green haze…not to mention that huge barrier around this place. _Something_ is going on, I just don't know what."

"This boat wasn't here before," Squall said.

"You're right, it wasn't. And it's really…bright. Is that where that weird green light is coming from?" Selphie asked.

"Yes," Quistis said, "let's go check out the boat."

"Wait a minute! Look at that green stuff…I'm thinking radioactive waste. I'm not getting any closer to that rotten thing! And I wouldn't if I were you, either." Zell stared at the old boat apprehensively.

"But there's no other choice." Squall began moving towards it. He waded out until the water was knee-deep and knelt beside the small wooden craft. He looked about for a moment, bending the wood and brushing the large masses of green moss. Then he faltered. There was something in the dank water at the bottom of the craft. 

The others saw him turn ghastly pale. He wavered for a moment, and they started, thinking he was going to fall backwards into the water. But Squall caught his balance. He stood, his eyes glued on something in his hand.

"What is it, Squall?" Quistis asked. 

He didn't reply.

"Squall…" Selphie began, "…what have you got in your hand?"

Squall merely shook his head incoherently.

"Wait a minute," Zell whispered. "He's holding something on a metal chain. Oh no--"

"Oh god--" 

"Oh…" A shadow passed over their faces as they watched Squall. He was not moving at all, just staring transfixed at the necklace in his hand. 

"Rinoa…" 

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"Will she be all right?"

"I don't know…it's odd, really."

"I've never seen this. Adel was completely different. Even I was. There is no way this could have possibly happened. We all know she didn't have the inherent powers needed to be a sorceress…they were just passed on that once, directly from me."

"So what is this? Edea, if you can't explain this, I don't know who can." The medic in Esthar was scratching his head futilely.

"Odine…?" 

"That odd fellow may have been able to figure it out before, but that was when we already knew the normal trend of powers passing from each sorceress to the next…"

Cid stirred. He was lying on a bed on the other side of the room, without any sign of injury except for the fact that he had fallen into a state of catalepsy for several hours. He muttered aloud, "Will the young woman be okay?"

The president of Esthar was standing in the doorway. He shook his head. "We don't know, Cid. We'd like to think the best, but the scientists say they have no idea what happened to her. And your wife doesn't know, either."

"Cid!" Edea exclaimed. She hurried over to the bed where her husband lay and smiled down at him. "You're all right?"

"Yes…but I don't know what happened, other than that there was something wrong with Rinoa."

"…Rinoa came stumbling in from the back door. I really don't know myself. But I felt a strange tingling sensation, as though I could sense her presence…I can feel it even now. She collapsed, and there was a strange shock, or an enormous blast of energy--that collapsed the both of us. I woke up several hours later to find you and Rinoa both unconscious on the floor. Then I brought you two here…"

"What was that green light?" Cid asked, his voice still weak, "I saw it before I passed out."

"That's what we're trying to figure out," the medic said, shuffling over to the bed. "It has something or another to do with the girl's sudden burst of power. Edea," he turned to her, "I've sent for Odine, though I don't know what he can do. We'll just have to see."

"And Squall?" Laguna said after a few moments of silence. 

"Oh my, I'm so ashamed of myself. I hadn't even thought in all this commotion--" Edea began, but Laguna silenced her with a wave of his hand.

"No, no, um, I was just wondering, you know, what might have happened to Squall and his friends. Shouldn't they have been with Rinoa? Obviously they weren't, because she somehow found her way to your house alone…we should tell them what's happened to her. No doubt Squall is looking for her at this very moment."

Cid sat up, wincing at the searing pain that shot through his head for a brief moment. "No, I'm fine," he muttered distractedly at a concerned Edea, then turned to Laguna. "Contact Balamb Garden. They should be there--I think Squall said they would be stationed at Fisherman's Horizon."

"All right--" Laguna looked to Ward, who nodded and disappeared. Laguna looked down at the still form of Rinoa and sighed inwardly. Something was amiss. Laguna knew somewhere Squall was terrified, though he might never admit it. It was a feeling he knew all too well. But, he thought, Squall's world would end if something happened to Rinoa, something like what happened to her mother. Julia's death was heartrending news to him, but he had had Raine there for him. Squall had no one else. No, that wasn't true. Squall had his friends. And Laguna was one of them. He swore silently that he would do everything in his power to find out what was wrong with Rinoa.


End file.
